refugee camps<\/a>, once makeshift tented communities when they were established in 1948 after Israel\u2019s founding and intended to be temporary, are now densely populated built-up areas housing the descendants of hundreds of thousands of refugees.<\/p>\nThe older generations remember being forcibly expelled from their homes in historical Palestine by Zionist militias in the 1948 Nakba to pave the way for the creation of an Israeli state.<\/p>\n
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) describes the camps as dominated by poverty, severe overcrowding, and joblessness. The camps are also the primary targets of Israeli military operations in the West Bank.<\/p>\n
Without the prospect of a normal childhood for their occupants, the lure of fighting Israel can often prove irresistible.<\/p>\n
Nablus-based psychologist, Nisreen Bsharat, said \u201cmartyrdom\u201d, particularly for those in the camps, is viewed as the ultimate demonstration of faith and resilience.<\/p>\n
Bsharat, who works with young people and grieving mothers from Balata, said martyrdom is seen as a \u201c\u2019heroic\u2019 contribution to Palestine\u201d, and that martyrs and their families are celebrated as such.<\/p>\n
Those who fight against Israel are seen as \u201crole models\u201d when so few opportunities exist in refugee camps, Bsharat added.<\/p>\n
\u201cHistorically, martyrdom is tied to our national identity,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s seen as the least we can offer our homeland, and part of our duty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though far from an exclusively Islamic concept, Palestinians often refer to those who are killed by Israeli forces as martyrs, believing they sacrifice their lives fighting for their nation, Islam, and the Holy Land \u2013 and believe that God promises them their place in paradise.<\/p>\n
Bethlehem-based clinical psychologist and academic, Amanda Manasra, who was born in Aida refugee camp, and focuses on trauma in Palestine, told Al Jazeera the vast majority of camp residents live with untreated complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which is significantly more difficult to cure.<\/p>\n
The harsh environment of the camps creates a revolutionary fervour that is far less common in wealthier areas, Manasra added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea of martyrdom is related to how Palestinians find meaning to deal with hardship, individually and collectively,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of my cases are adolescent men from the camps \u2013 many former prisoners \u2013 who have lost so many friends and family members.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoining the resistance is about taking control \u2013 it can feel like a reward for experiencing hardship, and can satisfy feelings of retribution.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fighters feel they have survived, persisted, and beaten the occupation war machine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Camps in the northern West Bank came under even more relentless attack since Israel launched \u201cOperation Iron Wall\u201d in January 2025, which has displaced tens of thousands of refugees in nearby Jenin and Tulkarem, and killed hundreds.<\/p>\n
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Tributes to Palestinians killed fighting Israel are visible across Balata [Al Jazeera]Psychological toll<\/p>\n
Belal, who spent eight years in Palestinian Authority (PA) prison during Wael\u2019s childhood, feels the pain of his son\u2019s loss deeply.<\/p>\n
They both had only\u00a0ever known the narrow, labyrinthine streets and decrepit buildings of Balata, the most populous refugee camp in the West Bank. But Belal feels that he wasn\u2019t able to be there to guide Wael through them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t get the chance to see Wael growing up, or spend time with him as all other fathers do,\u201d he said, unable to fight back his tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI envy his mother and brother because at least they lived with him. They have beautiful and plentiful memories with him, shared moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know what it feels like to carry your son on your shoulders, place him in his grave, and bury him with your own hands? It is the hardest thing in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Belal, whose brother was also killed by Israel when he was younger, said he and his son had so many plans for when he would be released from prison.<\/p>\n
In the end, Belal was freed only on compassionate grounds so he could see Wael for the final time before he was buried.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s actions breed hatred<\/p>\n
For those in Nablus\u2019s refugee camps, violent incidents like Wael\u2019s killing are nearly a weekly reality \u2013 and a doom-laden reminder that death lurks around every corner.<\/p>\n
Belal recalled Wael becoming deeply affected as a child by the 20-year imprisonment of his closest uncle, after whom he was named. Later, he became preoccupied with avenging those close to him whose lives he says Israel had stolen. Four of Wael\u2019s cousins had been killed in the 12 months preceding his death.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, it was also the constant invasions and the violence he grew up around, and the barbaric way the soldiers treat us,\u201d Belal told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery night, we experience the atmosphere of Israel\u2019s raids. We\u2019re forced to accept this life \u2013 we have no choice but to adjust.\u201d<\/p>\n
Belal said that when Wael was growing up, there were no youth clubs or even parks that could take his mind off the harsh life in the camp. He added that soldiers had once raided the family\u2019s house and destroyed \u201cliterally everything\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actions like these that breed hatred toward them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Belal specifically remembered Wael, who had just begun high school, being enraged by footage of Israeli soldiers beating women in Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, one of Islam\u2019s holiest sites.<\/p>\n
\u201cWael couldn\u2019t accept that soldiers would beat women and girls,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was intolerable for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wael\u2019s surviving family live in a crowded second-floor apartment near the centre of the camp, and his father, two of his brothers, his little sister, and his grieving mother took turns tearfully eulogising him.<\/p>\n
His mother, Hanadi, was beaten, and his brother, Ibrahim, was also detained as soldiers broke into their apartment late at night to arrest Wael.<\/p>\n
Hanadi was shocked by Wael\u2019s condition once he was released from prison.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe marks of torture remained on his body even after his release,\u201d she said. \u201cBurn scars from extinguished cigarettes were visible on his back and hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Refugee camps under siege<\/p>\n
Balata has often been a target for the Israeli military, and, according to the UN, 30 people have been killed in the camp since Israel intensified its attacks on the West Bank following Hamas\u2019s October 7 attacks.<\/p>\n
The pictures of Palestinians killed fighting Israel are emblazoned, like shrines, on the camp\u2019s walls.<\/p>\n
About 33,000 people are crammed into Balata\u2019s narrow streets. It spans an area of 0.25 square kilometres (0.1sq miles), and has one of the highest rates of unemployment and food insecurity anywhere in the territory, according to UNRWA.<\/p>\n
On August 15, Wael and two other fighters rushed to confront an incursion of Israeli soldiers when they were struck by a drone on the camp\u2019s main street. Wael and fellow fighter Ahmad Khalil were killed instantly, while four others, including children, were injured.<\/p>\n
Hanadi described the camp being surrounded by soldiers while gunshots\u00a0rang\u00a0close by, as she comforted her younger children.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe moment I heard the sound of the missile, I knew he had been martyred,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started praying for God to accept him and to give me strength to bear this calamity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also prayed that his face would remain unharmed because he always wished his face wouldn\u2019t be disfigured so we could say our goodbyes to him properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tsunami of trauma<\/p>\n
Manasra said there is a tsunami of untreated mental health problems across the West Bank, while services remain hopelessly stretched, underfunded, and inaccessible for most.<\/p>\n
She says the glorification surrounding resistance to Israel and martyrdom also obscures a more difficult reality of unprocessed grief and trauma that lingers with individuals and families forever.<\/p>\n
Supporting families in the camps like Belal\u2019s is nearly impossible when services are so costly and restricted, she says.<\/p>\n
Without any such mental health support, Belal spoke of his suffering and told Al Jazeera that, since his son\u2019s death, \u201cjoy has not entered our house\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe may smile or laugh at each other to show politeness, but inside, it\u2019s different,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cInside, there\u2019s only fire \u2013 and pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
Too often, the burden of resistance falls on the poorest residents of the West Bank\u2019s refugee camps.<\/p>\n
In each case, the reason for resisting is different. But there are nearly always similarities: Hardship, piety, retribution, and a sense of duty to one\u2019s country.<\/p>\n
The pride found in resisting only briefly distracts from the deep scars left by Israel\u2019s occupation, which is tightening its grip over the West Bank \u2013 particularly in the refugee camps.<\/p>\n
The surviving families of those killed are left somewhere between terrible grief and hopeful adulation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I sit alone, I imagine Wael beside me,\u201d Belal added.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes, I feel like hugging his picture tightly to my chest as I cry my heart out.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a role model even for me. I bid him farewell with complete serenity \u2013 I know God will accept him as a martyr.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nablus, occupied West Bank \u2013 Before he was killed by an Israeli drone 18 months ago at the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2664,85,46,44,47,43,45,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-290507","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-features","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-israel","11":"tag-israel-palestine-conflict","12":"tag-middle-east","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-occupied-west-bank","15":"tag-palestine"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/The-main-street-through-Balata-1771004964.jpg\")
The Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces [Al Jazeera]Defenders of the camps<\/p>\n